Zen-Aku
Zen-Aku is a powerful Wolf Duke Org and the anti-hero from Power Rangers Wild Force. Personality Initially, Zen-Aku displayed mixed characterstics of an org and human because of Merrick's influence while they were merged. When Nayzor's bug erased Merrick's influence, Zen-Aku became completely under Nayzor's control. After being free from the bug and separated from Merrick, Zen-Aku only wanted to merge with Merrick. It was hinted he did not want to be alone and lonely because he told Merrick he (Zen-Aku) was "cast aside, discarded, rejected". In addition, Zen-Aku was far more powerful now because his power was no longer divided between himself, Merrick, and Merrick's Wolf, Hammerhead Shark, and Alligator zords and fusing with Merrick again would have only served to weaken Zen-Aku once again. After being resurrected a second time, Zen-Aku has mellowed down and is seeking redemption, no longer interested in forcing Merrick to refuse with him and when Merrick invited Zen-Aku to join him, he referred to Merrick as an "old friend". History Bonding to Merrick Not much is known about Zen-Aku's origins, except that his spirit was locked inside a cursed wolf mask. After the defeat of Animus at the hands of Master Org, Merrick decided that his only hope of stopping him was a legend about a cursed mask that could bestow great power upon the wearer. He found his way into the lair of the Org General, Nayzor, where he found the mask of Zen-Aku. Merrick put it on and gained its powers, using the Predazord to destroy Master Org, but immediately afterwards, the wolf mask seized control of his mind, merging him with and transforming him into Zen-Aku. With what humanity he had left, Merrick begged the other guardians of the Animarium to destroy him, but they refused to destroy their friend. Instead the guardians sealed Zen-Aku in an underground tomb, where he remained for 3000 years. Return However 3000 years later, Zen-Aku was released by Nayzor to destroy the present day Animaria Guardians, the Wild Force Power Rangers. He possessed no memory of his past, only that he wanted to destroy the rangers in vengeance for their predecessors sealing him. Zen-Aku proved able to fight the rangers quite well, even using his own Wildzords, and succeeded in stealing the Elephant, Giraffe, Black Bear, and Polar Bear Animal Crystals and adding them to his collection of Dark Wildzords. However as time went by, Zen-Aku's past nature began revealing itself. Once he found the White Ranger, Alyssa, injured at the hands of Toxica, and bandaged her up instead of finishing her. Another time, Zen-Aku saved a wolf/dog pup when it was in danger from his fellow Orgs, even attacking Toxica to protect it. He began to become confused, even more so when he started to have flashbacks of his past. Zen-Aku began to doubt himself even more when the spirit of Animus began to appear before him, telling him to "Remember", which confused the ranger as well, especially after Princess Shayla saw Zen-Aku bleeding (which Orgs are unable to do) and they saw his actions. As he came even closer and closer to realizing the truth, Nayzor eventually used an insect that took possession of the wolf Org's mind and made him into his willing servant. Breaking Free However Princess Shayla had begun to piece together the truth and later, Animus managed to cause a lunar eclipse that allowed Merrick to take back control. He told the rangers' what had happened to him, but then the eclipse ended, changing him back into Zen-Aku. Shayla managed to piece everything together and realized that the curse came from the Predazord, because after Master Org's defeat, the wolf mask had made the Wolf, Hammerhead, and Alligator Wildzord's evil and their guardian along with them. Shayla then told the rangers that the only way to free Merrick was to defeat the Predazord, which they succeeded in doing with help from the new Armadillo and Rhino Wildzords. Finishing Matters However Merrick and Zen-Aku had unfinished business with each other and thanks to the mask being broken, the Wolf Org returned, this time determined to remerge with Merrick. Now he was even stronger then the last time, which Shayla explained was because when they had been bonded, Zen-Aku's evil power had been divided between Merrick, Zen-Aku, and the Predazord, but with Merrick and the Predazord good again, the Wolf Org had all his power to himself. Zen-Aku battled Merrick and almost succeeded in his goal, but was eventually defeated again with use of the Predazord's Revolver Phantom attack. Traveling with Merrick After Master Org was defeated again, Merrick set out to wander the world and was approached by Zen-Aku, who offered to join him, saying that they were both "lone wolves looking for redemption". Merrick accepted the offer and the two set off together. Powers and Abilities Zen-Aku is quite powerful, able to take on all five of the rangers in close combat without too much difficulty. In battle, he wields a large crescent shaped blade that he can use to send out crescent shaped waves of energy. When Zen-Aku was bonded with Merrick, he played a knife shaped flute to summon the Dark Wildzords and could use his powers to corrupt Animal Crystals, in order to add the Wildzords they represent to his collection of Dark Wildzords. Zen-Aku's powers wax and wane with the moon, at the full moon he is at his strongest and when there is no moon, his powers were diminished enough to allow Merrick to take control. Zen-Aku can also grow to giant size, as he demonstrated after being separated from Merrick and losing the Dark Wildzords. Gallery Zen-Aku Summons Dark Wildzords.jpg|Zen-Aku summoning the Dark Wildzords. Zen-Aku Dark Wild Zords.jpg|Zen-Aku's Dark Wildzords; the Hammerhead Zord, Wolf Zord, and Alligator Zord. Zen-Aku Bandages Alyssa.jpg|Zen-Aku bandages an injured Alyssa. Zen-Aku rescuing Dog.jpg|Zen-Aku rescues a Wolf/dog pup. Zen-Aku being possessed.jpg|Zen-Aku being possesed by General Nayzor's power so his vessel, Merrick, cannot retake the control of his body. Zenaku-crescent-blade2.jpg|Zen-Aku's Crescent Blade Zen-Aku's Flute.jpg|Zen-Aku's Flute Knife Zen-Aku in Predazord Cockpit.jpg|Zen-Aku inside the Dark Predazord's cockpit Zen Aku mask shattered.JPG|Zen-Aku mask shattered Zen-Aku Bandages Alyssa.jpg|Zen-aku is a good person Zenaku-accompanies-merrick.jpg|"Well then, lead the way... old friend." Koragg 6.jpg Trivia *Zen-Aku's manner of summoning his Dark Wildzords by playing on his flute is similar to how Tommy Oliver summoned the Dragonzord by playing on his Dragon Dagger like a flute. *Zen-Aku's name means "good-bad" in Japanese. *When the Predazord was under Zen-Aku's control, its head resembled him. *Until episode "Unfinished Business", Rangers believed that Zen-Aku was simply Merrick's evil self as result of being exposed by the dark power within the cursed wolf mask. When Zen-Aku returned as a full Org and went after Merrick, they finally learned that Merrick and Zen-Aku were separate entities and thus, how Merrick and Zen-Aku's relationship was more like possession. See Also *Duke Org Rouki - Super Sentai counterpart in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. 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